Former President George Bush speaks at a reception for high school seniors receiving the 2009 Chase Foundation Scholarship at Artesia High School in Artesia, NM, yesterday. (AP Photo/Roswell Daily Record Mark Wilson)

(Newser)
–
Being wrist-deep in dog poo makes a nice change of pace from being neck-deep in responsibilities, George W. Bush told a group of New Mexico high school seniors yesterday. Bush, in one of his few public appearances since leaving office, said it felt liberating to be out of the Oval Office and returning to normal life in suburbia, AP reports.

"I realized this was the first time I'd been walking in a neighborhood for 14 years," Bush said of his first walk around his Dallas suburb, where former first dog Barney made a mess on a neighbor's lawn. "And there I was, former president of the United States of America, with a plastic bag on my hand," Bush recalled. "Life is returning back to normal."

What great sense of responsibility? The man took more time off than any other president.

John

May 22, 2009 2:35 AM CDT

He should have stayed in the burbs 9 years ago. We would all be better off!!!!

Derni

May 22, 2009 2:06 AM CDT

I happy for him-glad he's getting back to normal-it will take a long time to correst the economic abuses and other difficulties he and his cabinet left us with-so we're happy he's gone too-enjoy life in Texas.